Five reasons why I'm becoming Vietnamese & 5 reasons why I have a long way to go

So I know I have a lot of news to catch up on, a couple of Vietnamese weddings, some minor flooding during my trip to HCMC etc etc. But here I would like to list the top 5 reasons why I feel I am slowly turning Vietnamese and the 5 reasons why I have a long way to go.

Top 5 reasons why I'm becoming Vietnamese

5. I no longer get angry with people who push into queues in front of me. The Vietnamese just do not wait in line. It's something I have come to accept. So now I just hold my ground. Though this has resulted in some bruises.

4. I choose Vietnamese coffee (and often Vietnamese food) over Western coffee any chance I get. I am well and truly addicted. I tried to quit and lasted less than a week!

3. I choose to get my hair washed using the traditional Vietnamese concoction of special leaves, cooked til they are burnt and lemon juice, over conventional shampoo and conditioner.

2. I wear a full face silver motorbike helmet.. with Hello Kitty stickers on it!

1. I now notice (and often stop to admire) different colours and styles of motorbike helmets and colours and makes of motorbikes.


Top 5 reasons why I have a long way to go

5. The almost complete lack of footpaths still frustrates me as I am someone who enjoys walking a lot. Motorbikes, childre, food stalls etc fill every available space.

4. I'm still not comfortable with the constant noise. The Vietnamese love everything at top volume, which means many a morning I have been woken up with drilling, welding, Celine Dion, Aqua/VengaBoys mega mixes etc.

3. As a rule I do not find Vietnamese men attractive. I feel this makes me less Vietnamese.

2. I cannot seem to refrain from counting the number of people on motorbikes. The most people I've ever seen on the back of the bike was 5 (but that included some children).

1. I still need to learn how to ride a motorbike. I thoroughly enjoy riding on the back now, but it's not enough!

Stay tuned for more visual updates soon.